Child Support Collections: A Comparative Study of Strategies

Problem(s) Addressed:

This study looks at the United States' declining child support collections, with a particular emphasis on Oklahoma's poor performance in comparison to states like South Carolina and Texas. 

Important concerns include:

• Operational limitations: In Oklahoma, program effectiveness was hampered by decreased federal and state funding.

• Systemic barriers: Complicated payment procedures, perplexing notifications, and ineffective sanctions (such as license suspensions or incarceration) make it difficult for noncustodial parents to comply.

• Demographic challenges: High rates of poverty (15.8%), incarceration (1,079/100k), and children born out-of-wedlock (42%), all make collection more difficult.

Key Findings:

• State Disparities: Texas's cost-effectiveness ratio (collections per $1 spent) was 10.04, thanks to practical measures like workforce referrals and a partial "pass-through" of TANF payments to families. Lien enforcement and fatherhood initiatives were given top priority in South Carolina. Despite lower spending, Oklahoma's collections decreased (by 0.48% over a 5-year period).

• Behavioral Barriers: Procrastination, transaction fees, and the absence of pre-paid envelopes were among the reasons why noncustodial parents frequently failed to make payments.

• Infrastructure Impact: While Oklahoma's antiquated web interface made it more difficult to access, modernized systems (like Texas's user-friendly portal) increased compliance.

• Behavioral Diagnostics: Through research on payment noncompliance, psychological barriers (such as present bias and inattention) were identified.

Recommendations:

• An alternative to incarceration is to substitute payment plans and job programs for jail penalties (modeling Texas's "one-factor approach").

• System simplification includes redesigning notices with explicit due dates, providing pre-paid envelopes, lowering online costs, and improving the usability of Oklahoma's website.

• Increase proactive outreach by spreading information through community centers (such as churches and libraries) and via SMS/email reminders.

• Push for the restoration of state and federal funds to update Oklahoma's law enforcement apparatus.